Compartment doors and the like typically have a handle and latch assembly which is mounted on the outside of the door and secured with a bracket on the inside of the door. Often, the different manufacturers of vehicle doors have doors with different thicknesses, which necessitates the use of different mounting brackets with the handle assembly for each of the different door thicknesses. The need for multiple mounting brackets inherently increases the cost of the handle assembly and can complicate installation of the handle assembly since the installer must choose among the various mounting brackets.
Installation of the door handles is also tricky or difficult, and may require two people since the handle assembly is held in one hand and the mounting bracket held in the other hand. Thus, a third hand is typically needed to install the screws which connect the mounting bracket to the handle housing so as to sandwich the door between the bracket and housing.
Therefore, an improved door handle assembly is needed to simplify the installation process and to reduce costs.
An important and primary objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved door handle assembly which overcomes the problems of the prior art.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a door handle assembly utilizing a mounting bracket which can be positioned in multiple orientations to accommodate doors having different thicknesses.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a mounting bracket for a door handle assembly which can be positioned in four different orientations so as to accommodate four different thicknesses of doors.
Yet another objective of the present invention is the provision of a handle assembly for a door which can be installed by one person without the use of clamping or holding devices.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved handle assembly for a door which can be quickly and easily installed on various doors of various manufacturers.
Yet another objective of the present invention is the provision for a housing that includes tapered pins that press fit onto the mounting bracket providing a temporary hands-free positioning of the assembly into the door until the mounting screws are installed.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved handle and latch assembly for a door which is economical to manufacture and durable, secure, and safe in use.
These and other objectives will become apparent from the following description of the invention.